Spring-lock for boxes and other receptacles.



W. GOEDEKE. SPRING LOCK FOR BOXES AND OTHER REGEPTAGLES. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 17, 1911.

1,002,259. Patented Sept. 5, 1911.

(in is 10 60 mg, INVENTOR,

WITN Ess ES,

BY W OLUD\BIA PLANOGRAP I N. D. C. I

ATTORNEY FREDERICK W. GOEDEKE,

OF EVANSVILLE,

INDIANA.

SPRING-LOCK FOR BOXES AND OTHER RECEPTAGLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 1'7, 1911.

Patented Sept. 5, 1911.

Serial No. 615,042.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK WV. Gon- DEKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Evansville, in the county of Vanderburg and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Spring-Lock for Boxes and other Receptacles, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in spring locks for boxes, baskets, shipping crates and various other receptacles.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of spring locks,

may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advan tages of the invention.

In the drawing :Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a portion of a spring lock,

constructed in accordance with this inven- .tion and shown applied to a box, the latter being provided at the front with an aperture to receive an operating implement. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view, taken substantially on the line 22 of Fig.1. Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view, the spring lock being applied to a box having an aperture at the top for the introduction of an operating implement. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the top plate or keeper. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the spring lock.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawing.

In the accompanying drawing in which is illustrated the preferred embodiment of the invention, the spring lock is provided with a casing receiving a pivoted catch 1, and consisting of a rear housing 2 and a front plate 3. The catch and the casing are stamped or otherwise formed from sheet steel, or other suitable material and the rear housing 2, which is approximately U- shaped in horizontal section, is provided at opposite sides with vertical attaching flanges 4, which are riveted or otherwise secured to the inner face of the front plate 3. The front plate 3 is extended above the rear housing and is provided at the top with an outwardly extending horizontal flange or portion 5, which fits against the upper edge of the front 6 of the body 7 of a box or other analogous receptacle. The front plate and the attaching flanges are provided with perforations 8 for the reception of screws, or other suitable fastening devices for securing the casing to the inner face of the front wall 6, and the outwardly extending horizontal top flange 5-is also provided withcounter-sunk perforations 9 for the reception of screws or other suitable fastening devices for securing the flange of the front plate to the upper edge of the front wall.

The catch 1, which is pivoted between the sides of the housing 2 by a transverse rivet 10, or other suitable fastening device, extends above the housing, and is provided at the top with an engaging head 11, located in rear of the upper portion of the front plate and terminating short of the upper face of the top flange, or about the plane of the same, so as to be protected by the front wall of the box. With this construction, the spring lock does not present any projecting portions liable to be broken or otherwise injured in the use of a box or other receptacle. The catch, which has an upright shank or body, is provided at the front a short distance below the head 11 with an outwardly or forwardly projecting arm .12, extending through anarrow vertical slot 13 in the front plate and projecting into an opening 14: in the front wall 6 of the box and terminating short of the outer or front face of the front wall, as clearly illustrated in Fig. '1 of the drawing. The catch is also provided at its upper portion with an inward or rearward extension or arm 15, which operates in a narrow slot 16 in the rear wall of the housing 2. The catch is maintained in its engaging position by a spring 17 constructed of spring wire or other suitable material, which is doubled at the center to form a loop and which is bent into coils 18 at opposite sides of the loop and extended from the coils to form terminal arms or portions 19. The terminal arms or portions 19 bear against the rear wall of the housing, and the loop 17, which extends upwardly and rearwardly, is arranged at an inclination and engages a notch 20 in the rear edge of the catch. The tension of the spring holds the catch at the limit of its forward or outward movement. The head 11 of the catch is beveled at the front edge and is provided at the lower end thereof with a horizontal shoulder. The nose or point of the head 11 of the catch is located in rear of the upper portion of the front plate, and it is adapted to engage a depending approximately V-shaped bend 21 of a top plate or keeper 22. The top plate or .keeper 22, which is constructed of sheet steel, is secured by screws, or other suit able fastening devices to the lower face of the top or cover 23 of the box, and it is bent intermediate of its ends to form the depending loop or portion 21. The front side of the approximately V-shaped loop 21 is imperforate, and the rear side is provided with a relatively wide vertical slot 24, terminating at the bottom or bend of the loop and arranged to receive the projecting portion of the head 11. The imperforate front portion of the depending loop is vertical and fits against the inner face of the extended portion of the front wall of the casing, and the rear portion of the depending loop is inclined and extends upwardly and rearwardly from the bottom portion or bend of the loop. The depending loop is securely held between the extended front wall of the casing and the catch. The closing movement of the lid or cover carries the depending approximately V-shaped bend into contact with the inclined front edge of the head of the catch, which is thereby forced rearwardly and adapted to swing into engagement with the slot in the rear portion of the depending loop, whereby the lid or cover is automatically locked when closed.

In order to cause a proper closing of the lid or cover and to counter-act the effects of warping or swelling of the parts, the front portion of the keeper or top plate is equipped with a depending vertical stud 25, having a tapered lower end 26 and adapted to engage a counter-sunk opening 27 in the horizontal top flange of the top plate. The body portion of the stud is of a diameter to snugly fit the bottom or aperture of the counter-sunk opening, and the inclined sides thereof co-act with the tapered lower end of the stud to guide the latter centrally of the counter-sunk opening. The stud is provided at its upper portion with an annular enlargement or boss 28, conforming to the configuration of and fitting within and filling the counter-sunk portion of the opening and forming a solid structure, as clearly illustrated in Fig.1 of the drawing. The upper end 29 of the stud is riveted in an opening in the front portion of the keeper or top.

plate, but it may be secured to the same in any other preferred manner. The stud holds the parts tightly together and prevents them from becoming disengaged through any bulging of the sides or front of the box or receptacle.

In Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, the opening 14 extends through the front wall, and its outer end is adapted to be covered by a paper seal 30, which may be readily pierced by any instrument that will enter the opening 14. The catch may then be pressed inwardly or rearwardly out of engagement with the depending loop of the keeper to release the lid or cover. In Fig. 3, the for wardly projecting arm 12 of the catch is arranged within a recess 31, formed in the inner face of the front wall of the box, and the top thereof is provided with an opening 32, adapted to be covered by a paper seal 33 and alfording access to the top of the catch, which may be readily pressed back to release the top or lid of the box. The slot 24 is of a width approximately the same as the diameter of the top opening 32, in or-. der to permit an instrument introduced into the opening 32 to be readily engaged with the head of the catch for swinging the same rearward. When a paper seal is applied to the box at either the top or front opening, it is impossible to open the box without destroying the same and indicating such fact. The front ends of the top plate or keeper and the front end of the horizontal top flange 5 projects slightly beyond the front wall 6, and are provided with registering perforations 34 and 35, adapted ,to receive the wire 36 of a seal 37, when it is desired to use a seal of this character.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A spring lock for receptacles including a casing located within the receptacle at one of the walls thereof, a spring actuated cat-ch' pivoted at one end within the casing and provided at the other end with an engaging head, said catch being also provided at an intermediate pointwith an arm extending through the front of ,the casing, and a keeper having an inwardly projecting portion extending in advance of the engaging head and having an opening at the back engaged by the said head and exposing the catch for operation through an openingin the. receptacle. 1

2. A spring lock for receptacles including a casing having an open end and provided with an extended front wall projecting beyond the open end and provided with means for securing it to one of the side walls of the receptacle, a spring actuated catch pivotally mounted within the casing and ex tending through the open end thereof and provided with a head arranged in rear of the xtended. front wall of the casing, and

a keeper provided with an inwardly pr0 jecting loop fitting between the extended front wall of the casing and the head of the catch and having an opening at the back engaged by the head of the catch and exposing the latter for operation through an opening in the receptacle.

3. A spring lock for receptacles including a casing provided with a projecting flange and having a counter-sunk opening, a catch mounted within the casing, a keeper p r0- vided at its inner portion with an approximately V-shaped loop having an imperforate front wall and provided in its rear wall with an opening engaged by the catch and exposing the latter for operation through an opening in the receptacle, the outer portion of the said keeper being extended over the flange of the casing, and a guiding and centering stud projecting from the front portion of the keeper and adapted to engage the counter-sunk opening of the said flange.

4. A spring lock including a casing open at the top and having an extended front wall provided with a forwardly projecting flange, said flange having a counter-sunk opening, a latch pivoted within the casing and projecting through the open top thereof, a top plate or keeper having a depending portion arranged to extend between the front plate and the catch to be engaged by the latter, and a guiding and centering stud depending from the top plate or keeper and having atapered lower end and provided at the upper portion wit-h an annular boss or enlargement fitting the counter-sink of the opening of the said flange.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

FREDERICK V. GOEDEKE.

Witnesses:

LOUIS O. RAsoH, C. B. HARRIS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

